Saturday after Christmas

Text from “The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship”; Pg. 769


First Antiphon

Verse 1: I will confess You, Lord, with all my heart,* I will declare all Your wondrous deeds (Ps 9:2).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Verse 2: In the council of the just and the congregation,* great are the works of the Lord, conforming to His will in every way (Ps 110:1-2).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God O Saviour, save us.

Verse 3: His work is filled with praise and majesty,* and His righteousness endures forever (Ps 110:3).

Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God O Saviour, save us.

+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

If the second antiphon is sung: (Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God O Saviour, save us.) Otherwise we sing: Only-begotten Son…

Third Antiphon

We sing the usual Third Antiphon, but with the festal refrain: Son of God, born of a virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparion (Tone 4): Your Nativity, O Christ our God,* made the light of knowledge dawn on the world;* through it, those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star* to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness,* and to know You, the Dawn from on high.* Glory to You, O Lord.

+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Troparion (Tone 3): The Virgin today gives birth to Him who is above all being;* the earth offers the cave to Him whom no one can approach;* Angels with shepherds give Him glory,* while Magi make their way with a star,* for to us is born a little Child, the preeternal God.

Prokimenon (Tone 4): I will remember your name* throughout all generations (Ps 44:18).

verse: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear (Ps 44:11).

Epistle: (1Tm 6:11-16): Timothy my son, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

Alleluia (Tone 8): Rise up, Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness (Ps 131:8).

verse: The Lord swore an oath to David, and will not go back on His word (Ps 131:11).

Gospel: (Mt 12:15-21): At that time Jesus withdrew from that place. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 
‘Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
   and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 
He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 
He will not break a bruised reed
or quench a smouldering wick
until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.’

Instead of “It is truly…”: O my soul, magnify Christ the King born in a manger.

Irmos (Tone 1): A strange and glorious mystery do I behold: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, a dwelling place in which is laid Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain. Singing His praises, we magnify Him.

Communion Verse: I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord (Ps 115:4). Alleluia! (3x)

 

Divine Liturgy:
PDF – Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; Saturday after Christmas – ENGLISH
PDF – Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; Saturday after Christmas – UKRAINIAN
PDF – Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; Saturday after Christmas – ENG-UKR